Blood and corpses surrounded the tents, the smell of roots mingling with the stench of death. A witch, covered in blood, glanced to her right, exhaustion etched into her face as she shouted, "HE'S GONNA DIE!"

Grandma Mia pressed cloths against the gaping wound on the young soldier's chest, while the witch chanted spells to stem the bleeding. The soldier, gasping for breath, looked at Mia with pain-filled eyes and murmured, "My mo...ther... starving... without... me..."

The soldier exhaled his final breath, his life slipping away despite their efforts. Mia reluctantly released her hold on him, and the witch ceased her magic, acknowledging the inevitable with a heavy heart. "Mia, rest," she urged gently, "he's gone. Let's focus on those who still need us."

Mia nodded wearily, her strength depleted. She took a few unsteady steps before collapsing onto a nearby chair, her body drenched in blood and fatigue weighing heavily on her. Breathing heavily, she surveyed the chaotic scene within the tent.

After a moment's respite, Mia closed her eyes, succumbing to exhaustion. Her body was drained; she hadn't eaten in two days, subsisting only on water due to the overpowering stench that robbed her of appetite and sleep alike.

Mia blinked in confusion, finding herself suddenly in her own kitchen at home. The sight of a table laden with food and drinks brought a wave of relief and comfort. Despite her weariness, she managed a faint smile as she sat down, her gaze fixed on the spread before her.

Soon, the door swung open, and in walked Dam, followed by Lifa, engaged in conversation. Mia's smile widened as she watched them take their seats. Dam glanced at the food, a grateful expression softening his features. "Thank you, Gran... mother Mia," he said warmly.

Mia felt a rush of warmth and happiness wash over her. For a moment, the horrors of the battlefield faded into the background, replaced by the simple joy of being surrounded by loved ones in the familiarity of her home.

Mia beamed with joy as Lifa complimented her cooking: "Once again, you've surpassed yourself with this wonderful meal. Thank you!"

Suddenly, a gentle touch on her shoulder startled her. She turned to find Leon standing beside her, his expression pained yet tender. He spoke softly, breaking the spell of the comforting illusion around her. "I'm afraid you need to wake up, Mia."

Mia's smile faltered as she turned to look at Lifa and Dam once more, tears welling up in her eyes. "Just a little longer," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "Just... a moment to appreciate what I had."

Leon knelt beside her, taking her hands in his and kissing them gently. His eyes reflected sorrow as he spoke softly, "I know... I know, but you have to wake up. This isn't your reality."

Mia nodded slowly, understanding dawning upon her as the scene around her began to dissolve. She squeezed Leon's hands tightly, a silent acknowledgement of the pain of leaving behind the fleeting happiness she had experienced in her dreams.

Mia smiled warmly and gently kissed Leon on the forehead, softly caressing his cheeks. 'I understand, darling. Just give me a moment. I'm tired; I'm not as young as I used to be."

Meanwhile, inside the tent, Doctor Gram lay exhausted beside the witch Reyanna. His once-white clothes were now stained with blood and dirt.

Glancing over at Mia, who was peacefully sleeping, Gram remarked, 'Was it that elderly woman who killed the merchant? What was his name again? Ah, Fur!"

Reyanna affirmed with a nod, "Yes, but I find it hard to believe. Look at her, she seems frail and hasn't even eaten because of the corpses around her."

Gram agreed with another nod, "True, but she's accustomed to it. She served as a doctor during the previous conflict with the Syrana Kingdom, that minor war from years back."

Reyanna interjected, "Exactly. Many lives were lost then. The Syrana Kingdom harbours animosity towards us anyway, and it was her royal family seeking pretexts to attack us while those cursed goblins sharpened their knives to finish off our weak and wounded."

Gram turned his gaze towards the soldiers and remarked, "They battle the goblins, killing hundreds, losing just as many of their own, dying, getting injured. After all that carnage and so many soldiers left with severe wounds, you wonder where more soldiers come from to keep fighting?"

Reyanna chuckled softly and replied, "I thought I was the only one pondering that. Does the kingdom conjure soldiers out of thin air?"

Gram nodded solemnly, "Indeed, because it's war, something humans seem to relish, no matter the reason: money, honour, women, power, recognition. We get dragged into this mess regardless."

Reyanna smiled warmly as she draped her arm around Gram's shoulder. "At least you're here with me, old friend."

Gram nodded wearily, letting out a sigh as he feigned excitement, "Yaaay! Another thrilling day at work! Yaaay!"

Reyanna chuckled, "Come on, I'll treat you to a meal once we're finished here."

"With this stench clinging to us? They won't let us near the damn city," Gram remarked, wrinkling his nose at the pervasive horrible smell in the air.

Reyanna suggested with a smile, "No worries, we can send some guards. We've got plenty of them."

Gram glanced at Reyanna and replied, "A free meal? Who am I to refuse."

Meanwhile, at Yoka's shop, Murdo spoke to Dam, expressing his relief, "I'm glad you're safe, brother! You're such a hard worker, it felt strange not seeing you around!"

Dam smiled back, "I had some issues to sort out. How have you been?"

"I'm doing well. Some adventures kept me away from the city," Murdo replied, gesturing with his arms. "But everything's settled now. I've got money and I know where to spend it."

Dam nodded understandingly. "Take your time and pick out whatever you need from our store."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Murdo nodded in acknowledgement as he moved on to inspect the next piece of equipment. Meanwhile, Yoka was engaged in conversation with a customer, keeping an eye on Safle as she approached Dam.

Safle smiled at him and remarked, "You didn't tell him."

Dam nodded solemnly. "What my grandma did was... you know. I didn't see the need to worry him. It's a good thing that neither my grandmother nor I are well-known to most people, so not many are aware of our connection."

Safle nodded thoughtfully, prompting Dam to continue, "And those who attended the trial were just some nobles and a few friends. There's nothing to worry about; they'll soon forget my face."

Curiously, Safle looked at Dam and mentioned, "Your grandma informed the judge about a noble girl who killed Fur, which likely influenced the unfair treatment, given that nobles are exempt from trials. I'm sorry your grandma didn't receive a fair trial."

Dam smiled gently at Safle, but before he could respond, Safle interjected with a determined look, "I can talk to my father. I am a noble, after all."

Dam smiled warmly and gently held Safle's hands. "Thank you, Safle, but there's no need. You've always complained about your father being difficult. If you were to ask him for help, he'd likely make your life miserable."

Safle tightened her grip on his hands and insisted, "But your grandma! She could be innocent!"

Dam kissed her hands tenderly, surprising Safle, as he replied earnestly, "No, Safle, not for your sake. No matter what I want to believe, my grandma admitted that she did it."

Safle was taken aback, silently thinking to herself, "What?"

Dam nodded somberly and confirmed, "When I visited her, she admitted to it. So, there's no need. Thank you for offering to help."

Safle smiled sadly, nodding in understanding. She then said softly, "If you ever need anything, just let me know."

Dam smiled back warmly, reassuring her, "Of course. You're my friend."

Afterward, Safle departed with Murdo, while Dam and Yoka continued their business into the night. Dam sat on a chair while Yoka calculated their earnings.

Yoka glanced at Dam, who stared at his hands, recalling Safle's firm grasp and her persistent efforts to aid him. Murmuring to himself, but loudly enough for Yoka to hear, Dam exclaimed, "THAT DAMN WHORE! I'M GOING TO KILL HER!"

Dam was on the verge of grinding his teeth in fury, biting his lips until blood stained his mouth and chin.

Yoka then sat beside him, offering a cup of tea and asking, "What next?"

Dam sighed and began, "I will..."

Just then, the door of the shop swung open, and three guards entered, announcing, "We are searching for any pills!"

Dam stood up, irritation evident in his voice, "You did that last time! And why always at night?"

The big guard with a spear, the one who had pushed Dam that day, stepped forward and said, "NO QUESTIONS! MOVE."

Dam looked at him, recognizing him as one of the knights who arrested Mia. He responded, "No questions? No problem. I'm going to the royal office to report you."

Dam walked past the big guard and toward the door when the guard laughed, "Good luck."

Dam's world shattered upon hearing those words. Good luck? Saying it casually like that? Is there nothing that can bring justice in this world? This damn world!

Determined, Dam continued walking toward the royal office, a ten-minute walk if he could move fast.

The guards then looked at Yoka, and the older knight spoke, "Do you have a complaint too?"

Yoka looked at the knight and said, "Rivic? That's your name."

The older knight was surprised but kept his calm, replying, "Yes. Did I give you my name by any chance?"

"I heard your name from the mouths of some merchants who didn't appreciate your 'searching,'" Yoka said with a steady gaze. "So, I hope you and I will have a good relationship."

Rivic nodded with a smile, "Me too. Boys, start searching."

"But one thing," Yoka said, drawing their attention. "If I see anything destroyed or in chaos like last time, I will report you personally to Meria, the fire witch. So please, be careful."

Rivic looked at Yoka with a cold expression before saying, "Boys, let's not search this place. It stinks like a sewer anyway."

The knights looked at Rivic and nodded, then followed him outside the shop. Yoka grabbed his tea and drank it in one go. He was about to sit down when a woman entered the shop.

Yoka looked up and saw her; it was Mimi, the owner of the blacksmith shop next door. She was a short woman with long black hair, wearing big gloves and covered in ashes, evident that she was still working at night, helping her husband.

She looked at Yoka and said, "Good thing you're safe! I saw those knights before. Why did they return?"

Yoka glanced at the door and said, "They aren't on an official mission, I can tell you that."

Mimi nodded and said, "But they told us they were searching for illegal pills, that new stuff that lets you use magic."

"Yes," Yoka answered, "but they don't care about that. They're just looking for merchants who have the pills so they can take money from them in exchange for silence."

Mimi was surprised. She whispered, "A bribe!"

Yoka nodded, and Mimi covered her mouth with her gloves. She then said, "So, they will return every time to annoy us!"

Yoka nodded again. "Or until you pay them a small bag of coins, and they will never return... for a period."

Mimi held her hands in a defensive position. "Never! Jav and I worked hard for this money!"

Yoka nodded. "Stay safe and keep your husband in check. That idiot is hotheaded and will punch those knights, so don't tell him anything. And if he gets angry, hold him back. You're the only one who can keep him calm."

Mimi nodded, saying with a smile, "Take care of yourself, Yoka! I'm heading back to the shop."

Yoka nodded as Mimi left. He then closed the door and muttered, "Why isn't Dam here yet? He couldn't be going home after reporting to the royal office. He'll be living here from now on."

After waiting for half an hour, Yoka lost his patience and left the shop, heading toward the royal office. He started running, dark thoughts filling his mind: "What if he died? Did Safle silence him? Did someone stab him? Why did I let him go by himself?"

After reaching the royal office, Yoka looked around and saw Dam sitting on the ground near a garden.

Yoka walked over to him and saw Dam staring at the ground. He sat down beside him.

Yoka then noticed tears of blood on the ground. He looked at Dam, gently lifting his face, and was shocked by what he saw.

Blood covered Dam's face, and he had a swollen eye. Yoka, in shock, asked, "Who did this to you?"

Dam looked at Yoka, then glanced back at the royal office. With a somber voice, he said, "They laughed at me. After that, the leader left, and the two knights forced me outside and beat me........... Yoka?"

Yoka saw Dam's tears mingled with blood and listened as Dam continued, "I didn't talk back. They laughed, and I kept my head lowered. Why isn't my mother Mia's advices protecting me? She said that good people will always be safe!"

Yoka helped Dam up and said, "Let's go to the shop and clean you up, and fix this eye of yours. Come on."

Dam nodded, accepting Yoka's help. He didn't need assistance, but at that moment, Yoka's shoulder was the only one Dam could lean on.

Meanwhile, at the noble house of Daekrahm, Safle sat on a luxurious couch with her father, Kael, who was sipping expensive wine beside his daughter.

Safle then asked, "Father, are we alone here?"

Keal nodded. "Only the loyal ones are here, and our friend. Your mother is with her servant, helping at an orphanage in Guty city."

Safle nodded, then turned her attention to the man sitting on the couch in front of them. "Thank you for helping me, Judge Jef. You really saved me this time."

Judge Jef smiled as he counted the coins. "Of course, after all, you and your father are my friends. Friends look out for each other."

Safle smiled and placed another purse of coins in front of Jef, whose eyes widened at the sight. "I hope I can return to you for aid."

Jef grinned as he took the purse. "Always, you and Keal, every day, anytime, anywhere. I've got your backs."

Afterwards, the servant brought a lavish meal where they ate and talked to their hearts' content. Following the meal, Jef left with a whore to his house, leaving Safle and Keal alone.

Keal gazed at his daughter with gratitude. "You saved us all. Thank you."

Safle nodded solemnly. "No, thank you. Without you, I would have been captured."

Keal raised his glass of wine. "You, your sister Taf, and your mother—you are my world. I will protect my world by any means necessary."

Safle embraced her father warmly and said, "I will always be with you, father."